The Dan Bongino Show — Episode 2457: "Obama Deep Stater Melts Down In Vicious Attack"
Date: February 20, 2026
Host: Dan Bongino
Guest: Mark Levin (late segment)
Podcast Network: Cumulus Podcast Network
Overview
In this episode, Dan Bongino delivers signature, no-holds-barred commentary on the current state of American politics, focusing intensely on the reactions of Obama-era officials—specifically Susan Rice—to anti-corruption efforts under the Trump administration. He critiques media narratives, addresses Democratic strategies to "re-weaponize" the government, pushes back on “counter-programming” from the right, and dives into contemporary controversies such as Epstein file transparency, culture wars, AI, and the filibuster. The episode culminates with an in-depth, energetic interview with conservative broadcaster Mark Levin.
Key Themes & Discussion Points
1. Susan Rice’s “Meltdown” and Deep State Threats
[04:21–10:15]
- Dan sets the tone by airing remarks from Susan Rice, characterizing her as the quintessential Obama-era “deep stater.” He argues that Rice openly threatens to re-weaponize government agencies against corporations and political enemies if Democrats regain power.
- Bongino rebuts Rice’s claims that the Trump administration “broke rules,” stating:
"I love how they break the law. We go and enforce the law and then they say when we get in office, we’re going to punish you for enforcing the law. These people should scare the shit out of you, man." [08:09]
- Stresses the reality of institutional rot and personalizes his discomfort with too much government power:
"I’m never comfortable when it comes to men governing other men…people are policy. Policies only matter if people follow them." [09:21]
- Midterm elections are critical—Bongino frames Rice’s comments as indicative of larger Democratic ambitions for revenge and re-weaponization.
2. Media & Democratic Counter-Narratives (“Counter-programming”)
[10:18–16:07]
- Bongino riffs about misleading tech leaks (specifically “signal sniffer” revelations at the FBI) and slams both leftist and “supposedly right-wing” counter-programming that seeks to downplay or undermine Trump-era successes.
- Criticizes the spread of narratives that suggest Trump uses “alien file” releases or other bombshells as distractions from real controversies:
"If this was a distraction, why is he putting this thing out, going, we’re going to take this off the plate now and just let you see it? [...] This is the transparency President." [12:29]
- Calls out shifting coverage and hypocrisy in media handling (i.e., The View’s switch on Epstein files when their own interests are implicated).
3. Cultural & Political Weaponization—The Perpetual Revenge Cycle
[16:45–27:48]
- Susan Rice, again, is portrayed as emblematic of a Democratic party driven by revenge:
"Her solution isn’t to say hey, we need to get back to some equilibrium where the rule of law’s balanced on both sides. Her solution is we’re going to go right back to weaponizing the governments against corporations and anyone else who enforced the law against people who are in of my ilk who broke the law…Their first impulse is revenge." [18:23]
- Bongino laments the lack of a "sanity-restoring" populist movement within the Democrats.
- Segue: Woody Harrelson’s anti-Trump comments (clip played):
"I wish that there were a way to get rid of that son of a… and get in a great president, you know, but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen." [20:45]
- Further lambasts Nicole Wallace, Pritzker, others for repeated Hitler/fascist analogies:
"Trump is Hitler. Racist, Hitler, fascist. Ignorance is an asset, not a liability for them." [28:32]
4. Trump’s Public Perception & Positive Developments (“Timeline Cleanse”)
[37:31–45:26]
- Bongino showcases Trump in unscripted public moments—especially interactions with black voters—to refute media narratives of racism and fascism (detailed description of Trump in a Georgia burger joint):
"Nobody in politics I’ve ever seen… makes you feel like you’re the most important person in the room, like President Trump. And I’m going to tell you something, it’s totally authentic." [36:08]
- Shares an anecdote about Trump’s two “challenge coins”—including the “Dark MAGA coin”—as an example of his genuine connection with people.
5. Economic Metrics, Crime, and Policy Achievements
[39:55–45:27]
- Trump administration’s track record highlighted with news clips as evidence:
- Lower jobless claims, falling mortgage rates, rising GDP, and a technological revolution (“AI”).
- Violent crime rates, especially homicide rates, have dropped—Bongino credits the Giuliani “broken windows” model and Trump’s focus on targeting the small pool of repeat violent offenders:
"90% of the crime is caused by 2% of the people." [45:27, Trump quote]
6. The 2026 Political Landscape, Party Infighting, & Need for Unity
[48:00–50:01]
- Urges the Republican base to prioritize victory over personal preferences:
"We live in a world of level 10 decisions where there’s a shitty call and a shittier call. Yes, the shitty call is to have to support some weak kneed Republicans who may not get the job done. The problem is the shittier call is not doing it and getting a Democrat in there..." [48:29]
- Warns that Democrats, failing to make progress against Trump, are flailing from message to message (Epstein, racism, affordability, etc.).
7. Culture War Shifts, DEI, and the “Equity” Illusion
[57:00–1:04:00]
- Bongino skewers “equity” as practiced in New York City, describes expensive micro-apartments, and mocks burgeoning city budgets for diversity officers and commissions:
"That’s equity in New York City. Folks, they are pissed off. They’re losing the culture war too."
- Criticizes the corporate and hospital responses to Trumpist pushback against radical “gender affirmation” practices.
“They are going to subpoena you all because they’re freaking crazy and they can’t wait to re-weaponize the place." [1:01:30]
- Contends that identity politics and victimhood are the left’s most valuable tactical tools.
8. AI, Deskilling, and the Universal Basic Income Debate
[1:67:35–1:71:00, also covered in Mark Levin interview]
- Bongino references Wall Street Journal piece about the risks of AI “deskilling” workers and the need for deliberate non-automated practice to retain human expertise.
- Critiques arguments for UBI:
"People are not lazy. Don’t buy into the liberal hype. We’re going to have to get people to use Universal Basic Income because they’re all lazy. Bullshit. I don’t believe that at all."
9. Interview with Mark Levin: Conservative Strategy & Challenges Ahead
[1:14:31–1:38:14]
Major Discussion Points
- The Move to Rumble / Podcaster Ecosystem
"I want people to be patriotic, to love this country. On our 250th anniversary… Don’t listen to all this negativity tearing down our society, one group against another. So this is my little way of pushing back." —Mark Levin [1:77:16]
- Global Alliances and Iran
"It is an abomination what the Starmer [UK] government is doing… Foreign policy is domestic policy and domestic policy is foreign policy, particularly when you have these open borders." —Mark Levin [79:50]
- The Filibuster — To Bust, or Not to Bust?
- Bongino advocates for pre-emptively scrapping the filibuster since Democrats will do so when it suits them; Levin expresses reservation but shares a nuanced stance:
"I am concerned that when the Democrats take power, they know how to use it… When our guys take power, it’s like a Tea Party… The Democrats, baby, they go right through and they ram it down." —Mark Levin [84:18]
- Both agree that if it is to be scrapped, Republicans must have a sweeping, transformative agenda ready.
- Bongino advocates for pre-emptively scrapping the filibuster since Democrats will do so when it suits them; Levin expresses reservation but shares a nuanced stance:
- Trump’s First Year and Media Bias
"He has undone sort of the socialist economic policies of the Democrats, department by department, economic sector by economic sector. And Americans, if they step back, they’re going to see that..." —Mark Levin [89:19]
- AI and the U.S. Work Ethic
"Some existing jobs will go, that’s okay. And many new jobs will be created... Liberty and economic freedom go hand in hand." —Mark Levin [93:02]
Notable Quote
"This guy Dan Bongino is such a kind and decent human being, folks. He is so committed to this country… It is an honor to be on your podcast, one of the greatest podcasts in the country." —Mark Levin [96:17]
Notable Quotes & Timestamps
-
Susan Rice warning:
"Have had a belly full. And we’re not going to play by, you know, the old set of rules when these guys are playing by a very different set of rules." —Susan Rice (clip played) [05:36]
-
Bongino on Democratic retribution:
"The lunatics are going to be running the asylum…That’s why I opened the show with this. They’re talking…about the anti-corruption efforts and bringing back the rule of law…Their first impulse is revenge." [18:23]
-
On Trump’s personality and empathy:
"Nobody in politics I’ve ever seen…makes you feel like you’re the most important person in the room, like President Trump. And I’m going to tell you something, it’s totally authentic." [36:08]
-
On media’s “Hitler” obsession:
"Hitler, Hitler, Hitler, racist Hitler, Hitler, racist, fascist Hitler, racist. Ignorance is an asset." [29:04]
Important Timestamps
- Susan Rice segment and her threats: [04:21–10:15]
- Counter-programming/media segment: [10:18–16:07]
- Epstein and The View: [13:24–16:44]
- Woody Harrelson quote: [20:45]
- Trump “timeline cleanse”, burger joint & challenge coin: [37:31–38:10], [39:55–45:26]
- Jobless claims, GDP, economic data: [39:55–42:09], [45:27–47:00]
- DEI & "equity" critique: [57:00–1:04:00]
- AI and “deskilling” discussion: [1:67:35–1:71:00]
- Mark Levin interview begins: [1:14:31]
- Filibuster debate: [84:18–88:03]
- Trump’s first year, economic record: [89:19–91:34]
- Mark Levin: “Dan Bongino is such a kind and decent human being…”: [96:16]
Memorable Moments
- Bongino’s recurring “don’t get dead” mantra: A light-hearted yet serious reminder about personal and political survival.
- Rice’s warning as a pivotal threat: Interpreted as open notice of a "revenge" government in waiting.
- Trump’s spontaneous connection at the burger joint: Used as definitive evidence against mainstream “racist” narratives.
- Cultural war satire: Bongino’s critique of “equity” illustrated with the micro-apartment tour as a metaphor for Democratic governance.
Conclusion
Dan Bongino delivers a densely packed episode, weaving through the pressing political battles over government weaponization, the state of the Democratic Party, media distortions, party unity, and major policy achievements under Trump. Special guest Mark Levin joins to reinforce themes of strategy, conservative principle, and the battle for America’s future in both the real world and the emerging digital arena.
This episode stands as a call-to-arms for conservative listeners to recognize threats, cut through the narrative noise, and focus on pragmatic unity to prevent a “re-weaponized” Democratic government—all conveyed through Bongino’s combative, impassioned style.